WEEKEND FREE 1957.

[dadio]

I walked home
from school
with Enid
it was Friday
and the sun
was bright.

Enid said
her old man
was taking her
and her mother
to Sheerness
for the weekend.

I would ask
if you
could come too
but I am afraid
he would get mad
and call it off
she said.

No no don't
mention me
or he'll go off
the roof
I said.

I shall miss not
seeing you over
the weekend
she said.

Why Sheerness?
I said.

He has relatives
down there
she said.

We passed
a record store
a Guy Mitchell song
was being played.

I've been to Sheerness
with my grandparents
I said
nice place
I like the beach
and watching
passing ships
hope your old man
is in a good mood then
I said.

So do I
she said
Mum's not looking
forward to it
she told me
this morning
after Dad had gone
to work
but she said
we'll have to go
or hell
will break loose.

We walked down
the subway steps
and along.

What will you do?
She said.

Go to the morning
matinee flicks
and maybe
the afternoon one too
if there's anything
worthwhile on
I said.

We came out
the other end
of the subway
and along
by the cinema.

We stopped
and looked
at the photos
on the wall showing
what film was on
it was a war film.

I might go see that
if my old man'll go too
I said.

We walked on
across the bomb site
where I picked up
a few small stones
for my catapult.

We went our
separate ways
at the top
of the stairs
of the flats.

Mrs Tooks
was standing there
like some witch
with her two thin cats.

[saw]

love the Guy Mitchell reference...marks time in a relate-able way to me...and the conversational tone seems so real...exactly like a photo seems real...or maybe I should say a super 8 film...

[dadio]

Thank you, saw.